The present invention relates to sorting records and more particularly the invention relates to a module for such a purpose whereby the records are guided from an entrance in between flexible guide rails establishing individual sorting channels to individual record deposits, (shelves, compartments, etc.) whereby respective two, adjacent flexible guide rails establish a funnel shape inlet and by means of appropriate controls, individual funnels are selectable for obtaining sorting proper.
A sorting module of the type generally to which the invention pertains is known through German Printed Patent Application No. 12 77 597 (corresponding to U.S. application Ser. No. 732,920, filed May 5, 1958). Herein particularly, flexible guide rails are provided to face the entrance opening. The flexible guide rails are pivotably adjustable, so as to establish entrance or inlet openings through which records run, into channels as established by the guide rails, and towards an individual sorting shelf, deposit location, or the like. The control of the entrance ends of the flexible guide rails is provided in that at the entrance of each rail carries a printed on electromagnetic coil and the entire package of entrance exists as established by all of the guide rails, face permanent magnets which, depending upon the direction of current flow through the respective printed magnetic coils will either attract the ends of the guide rails or repel them.
The aforedescribed control of physical movement of the guide rails for purposes of sorting control is relatively complicated, because each of the guide rails has to be provided with electric connections for purposes of feeding electrical power to the respective printed-on magnetic coil. Also, the current flow through this coils have to be reversible.
Different types of sorting devices are described in German Pat. No. 12 23 596 and German Printed Patent Application No. 11 41 116. The devices described herein do not meet all of the various features outlined in the introduction. In particular, sorting devices are described in these references in which the deposit location and its feed structure are themselves controlled as to position vis-a-vis the entrance of the record. The device disclosed in the first German Printed Pat. Application No. 12 77 597 requires a relatively large entrance opening which means that the direction of movement of the arriving record at the entrance is, at least in some instances, laterally displaced to a considerable degree.
On the other hand the German Pat. No. 12 23 596 (see U.S. application Ser. No. 319,395 filed Oct. 28, 1963) requires basically steps for controlling the motion and placement of the particular type of strip like records which steps are in turn provided at the record themselves so that the selection of a record occurs through spreading adjacent records apart and in opposite direction and a removal occurs in and through the open gap.
The German Printed Pat. Application No. 11 41 116, also mentioned above, uses as a sorting implement several roller pairs, each pair forming a gap to be aligned respectively with a radial slot in a rotatable drum. Unfortunately in practice one encounters here certain tolerances which interfere with the reliability of the operation; it may be difficult or impossible at times to insert a record when the transport speed is high.